Coronavirus: Scientists' warning, furlough fraud and 'long Covid'

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Tuesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.

1. 'People have relaxed too much'

Two senior government scientific advisers are warning the UK is at a tipping point when it comes to coronavirus. The last two days have seen almost 6,000 new cases recorded. While hospital admissions and deaths remain very low and, so far, the surge is predominantly among the young and less vulnerable, the fear is that could change unless people alter their behaviour. See what you can do to help limit the spread. And how bad could things get? Our health correspondent Nick Triggle examines that key question.

2. Local lockdowns latest

The scientists' warnings come as more parts of the UK face local restrictions. Stricter rules on home visits have been extended to two more areas in the west of Scotland, and in Wales measures come into place in the county borough of Caerphilly this evening. Meanwhile, holidaymakers on seven Greek islands are facing a rush to return to England in time to avoid quarantine. See more on the latest travel situation.

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3. Jobs retained - and lost

Up to £3.5bn of furlough payments may have been claimed fraudulently or paid out in error, according to the government. HM Revenue and Custom is currently looking into 27,000 "high risk" cases. Ministers say the scheme has protected 9.6 million jobs, but even with it, figures show British employers filed plans for more than 300,000 redundancies in June and July - six and seven-fold increases respectively on the same months in 2019. One man, Trevor Walford, told the BBC why he took an unusual approach - hitting the streets with a sign asking for work - after he lost his job.

Trevor Walford

Trevor Walford said the response had "been phenomenal" and he now had a number of interviews

4. 'Long Covid' sufferers

People left chronically ill months after contracting coronavirus need more support from the NHS. That's the view of experts who've spoke to BBC Radio 4's File on 4. The Royal College of GPs is calling for a national network of clinics to help sufferers of so-called "long Covid", but less than 12% of 86 NHS care commissioning groups asked by the BBC said they were running such services.

Keen cyclists Meredith and Elly, who was training for a marathon, say they're still suffering from Covid-19 symptoms months after getting it

5. Parkrun to return

Good news for hundreds of thousands runners and walkers in England - Parkrun is coming back. Events are set to resume by the end of October after being suspended since March. Pre-pandemic, Parkrun had 729 different locations across the UK staging free 5km and 2km runs every weekend. Chief executive Nick Pearson said current restrictions across Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland meant a similar timetable was unfortunately not possible there.

Getty Images

Parkrun resumed in New Zealand in July

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And don't forget...

Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

Plus, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems and dramatic changes in all our lives during the past six months have increased struggles for many. Our health reporter explains the symptoms and the steps you can take to tackle it.

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